Herrensauna at Tresor Club 2022 | Review
As part of their Tresor31 Festival — celebrating the Tresor club being 31 years in existence — the popular collective Herrensauna hosted an excessive rave.
After being shut down for over 2 years due to the Covid pandemic Tresor was probably the last club in Berlin that opened up again. The first event was hosted at the beginning of may reopening the club. After that, regular Klubnacht events followed, and the series “New Faces” taking place each Wednesday returned.
At the end of May 2022, the people from Herrensauna already hosted an event at Tresor. Funnily enough, I even visited their second last party before Covid in December 2019. One could confidently say, that back then (and still) those were the most anticipated parties at Tresor and for some “brought the club back on the map”.
But this time the crew did not only have the Tresor and +4Bar floor available but basically the whole area including the huge Kraftwerk and the intimate Ohm club.
Location:
The Tresor club is probably THE most iconic club in Berlin, maybe even in the whole world. Describing the whole history behind it would go beyond the scope of this review, so I’ll try to quickly summarize it: in the earlier 90s after the Berlin wall came down the eastern part of the city had a lot of unused spaces which have been occupied by squatters. One of those spaces was the old vault (Tresor) of the Wertheim mall, which itself was destroyed during WW2. Found by a group of young people who previously operated the UFO club, one of the first clubs in Berlin playing acid techno when next to no one knew the music, the Tresor was a long time illegal, but at the same time one of the most popular clubs of that time.
It is essential to point out that the club and one of its owners Dimitri Hegemann has been the first one to acknowledge Detroit Techno by inviting artists like Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills, Robert Hood, and a lot of members from the iconic Underground Resistance Label, which to this day regularly play at the club.
Please take some time to watch this iconic documentary. It covers everything you need to know and features some banging tracks!
Nowadays the club isn’t at its original location anymore. The Mitte district has been completely rebuilt and the fucked up aesthetics didn’t fit there anymore. Now at the spot it once was, houses the “Berlin Mall”, another generic mall with all the same brands you’ll find elsewhere, destroying a true piece of Berlin history. Don’t go there!
The new location is in Kreuzberg in an old CHP plant that contains:
- Tresor Club: with the Tresor, Globus, +4Bar, and Aurora Bar floors housing approx. 800 people
- Ohm Club: a separate club in the former battery room housing around ~200 people mainly focused on more experimental music than its bigger brother
- Kraftwerk: which is normally used as an event location, but also hosts musical events like Berlin Atonal
While for sure this isn’t the original location anymore, the owners have taken great care of transferring the atmosphere (I’ll go into detail in the next sections), even implementing old lockers from the original vault.
The place is easily reachable being only ~10 minutes from S-Bahn/Metro station Jannowitz Brücke and ~5 munites from Metro station Heinrich Heine Straße. Directly at the latter one, you’ll find the infamous Kit Kat Club. There are lots of night shops (Spätis), restaurants, and other clubs (Kater Blau, Berghain, Fiesere Miese, etc.) within walking distance or a cheap taxi ride.
Iconic and in the center of Berlin's nightlife: 10/10
Sound-system:
This is gonna be a difficult one. Due to the No-Photo policy, I couldn’t take pictures to get the exact details. However, I visited the exhibition at Kraftwerk a few days later and the system they used was still there so I could take pictures and get the exact details. So let's start there:
They used a Lambda Labs QX-Series system which seems to gain a lot of popularity in Berlin. It was a 2-point system with 2 stacks consisting of 3 horn-loaded tops on each side and (if I am not mistaken) 15 DH-18 digital horn subwoofers in total lying on the ground one by one. Additionally, there have been some speakers as a delay and to fill the rear part of the room with sound. If I am not mistaken those are the TX-3A by Lambda Labs.
But honestly, I’ve spent too little time at Kraftwerk and can’t recall how the sound was. I just wanted to give a general impression about the setup used.
Also, a very similar system was used on the Globus floor. It was the same horn-loaded QX-Series, but I can’t recall how many speakers they used. I found it very pleasant to listen to. It didn’t hurt my ears and the bass was warm and comforting. I was pleasantly surprised, that they upgraded that system since beforehand there was also a very high-quality Void Incubus system on that floor.
What wasn’t upgraded was the Tresor floor that still houses the same Void system. It is far too dark to count the speakers and to get the exact details. If I am not mistaken in total 4 double 18-inch subs are used (maybe even more, please correct me). The sound is clear and powerful. Nowhere is it bad and the system definitely suits the music played there. However, I find it lacking a bit behind other clubs in Berlin which offer a better, more even sound. That might be due to the structure of the room, which has multiple pillars and some crooked corners. Also, the floor is very heavily center-focused, meaning that if you are towards the end or at the side of the room you have a much less prominent bass.
To split it up I would rate the Globus floor a 10/10 and Tresor a 7/10 resulting in 8.5/10 in this category.
Lights and atmosphere:
Again we need to differentiate the floors, and as I have pictures of Kraftwerk, we’ll start there.
Maybe it was due to the lighting and atmosphere that I didn’t stay long in there, but there was nothing, that really caught my eye. Behind the DJ was running a projection and otherwise, they mostly worked with moving heads which looked fine to be fair. It was decent and well done, but nothing that drew my attention. There have been also enough (comfortable) opportunities to sit, both due to the ongoing exhibition and additionally placed chairs.
The Tresor floor on the other hand was quite the opposite. I mean it is very minimalistic, with strobes, washes, and swinging led bars. But it just fits that room so well. Additionally, during the night the room just gets absolutely filled with smoke (from the machine), s.t. you completely forget where you even are and where the floor or the ceiling is. It can be difficult for some people to stay there for a long time (me included), but it is just such a fantastic atmosphere, to just be able to completely dissolve — fully replicating the original floor.
Also, the name “Herrensauna” translating to men's sauna was fully appropriate! It was hot down there. Most had their shirt off and fully embraced it, which just suited the theme. But that sometimes made it even harder to stay on that floor constantly (more than 1hr at a time). Although, in my opinion (and in that of a friend as well) Charlotte de Witte at Watergate was even hotter and steamier in comparison.
Globus again was the opposite of Tresor. It had the vibe of a mix between a high-end bar and a theater. They redesigned it a bit, s.t. one half of the room was the dancefloor and the other one was a chill-out area, with lots of sofas to sit down and talk to others (volume was perfect there). In the middle between those two areas was a huge bar. I don’t recall what equipment they used, but it was mainly focused on warm (theater-like) lightning with some occasional flashes. Very easy and very chill.
The only thing I would criticize is, that the sitting opportunities there have been mostly placed at the walls, which caused, that the middle of the room felt kind of empty. I think either some more sofas there or maybe a statue or a piece of art would have fitted greatly in there. The temperature and ventilation were fine here.
I can’t comment on OHM as I haven’t been on that floor, but I’ll include a picture from a few years ago.
Summing everything up I would rate it an overall 8.5/10
Organization:
I arrived at around 1:30 am which is pretty early for berlin standards. By then the line for non-ticket holders was about 200m long. But they clearly have been prepared with multiple entries for guestlist, tickets, and box office. The line moved fairly quickly. There was a sorter who checked the people. I came in all-white as a bit of a statement against the black techno uniform. I was asked about my age and then granted entry. I didn’t feel as if there was too much selection going on, mainly because the venue is just huge (approx. >1500 people) and needs to be filled. But I didn’t see anyone with ordinary (“normie”) streetwear, e.g. blue jeans + white shirt.
The security check was appropriate and not too strict. I had an analog camera with me, which I needed to deposit immediately at the entrance. I got it back later without any issues. In general, the No-Photo policy was enforced strictly, which definitely was appropriate. There were a lot of people running around in extravagant and very revealing outfits and also some “haram” stuff was happening. I saw one guy who was approached by security because they suspected him to have taken pictures. He then needed to show his gallery, but overall the interaction seemed respectful.
There was also an awareness team and paramedics on site. I spoke with one of the team members, which by the way was a hilarious interaction. Very friendly and easily approachable. He told me they have been next to no incidents the entire night, which was great to hear, as it indicates a safe space and that people attending knew how to behave (both in drug use and sexually).
Since we are talking about 3 different spaces combined there have also been enough toilettes, since each one had individual ones. I didn’t experience long waiting times, it was overall clean and the staff was friendly.
The only critique I can think of is, that in the outside area there weren’t provided any (or only very few) opportunities to sit down. It would have been nice to see at least some wooden pallets because it just resulted in people sitting on the floor. Inside there were enough places.
Ran like a well-oiled machine minus the outside area: 9/10
Music & Residents:
As already described with Watergate a club that is in existence for a long time (10+ years) at some point will struggle to find its identity and change with the crowd. New trends arise and regulars can’t go out every weekend anymore.
For a long time, Tresor had somewhat the reputation of being mainly a tourist destination. If you like classic Techno the booking in my opinion was always very good featuring some of the best current producers like Peter van Hoesen and Benjamin Damage playing regularly. Yet those are often not the most well-known artists. With the Herrensauna series Tresor hosted an openly queer event that also features the currently popular trend of hard techno (with some trance elements), which drew the attention of a lot of Berliners. The main characters in it are CEM, MCMLXXXV, and SPFDJ.
During the night Herrensauna hosted the Kraftwerk floor featuring: CEM, JASSS, MCMLXXXV, Paurro, and Sepehr. To be honest I was on this floor for a total of maybe 20 minutes. I was much more fascinated being downstairs again and also all my friends have been drawn there. As already mentioned I also didn’t like the design of the Kraftwerk floor much and felt much more comfortable at Tresor & Globus. The floor closed down at around 8 o’clock.
At OHM I haven’t been at all. It was hosted by Sound Metaphors, but I can’t comment on that at all.
Tresor was really banging and hard, as expected. In the beginning, there were some difficulties to get the crowd going as it was a bit too monotone. But at 3:30 Headless Horseman came on and delivered some banging sounds. If I recall correctly he played for 4 hours and the people enjoyed it a lot, myself included. Afterward, the energy held well. The last DJ was set at like 15 or 16 o’clock. Due to the No-Photo policy, I wasn’t able to snap a picture of the Timetable.
My personal highlight was the Globus floor! A friend of mine had a great analogy:
Basti, you are like a whale. You can spend hours downstairs [in Tresor] but sometimes you need to come to the surface to get some fresh air.
Globus provided me with that fresh air. The music was a really nice contrast to the mechanical rhythm downstairs, featuring a mix between break-beat, dub, some house, and some light techno. It was such a great floor! The vibe was always fun and easygoing. As described it was also lighter regarding the atmosphere and the music underlined it pretty well. In the early evening (at around 3 o’clock) Dopplereffekt played live. The beginning was too much like a concert for me so I didn’t stay. But all the others that played, Baby T, Nite Fleit, and Z.I.P.P.O, have been great.
Even though I didn’t gain much from OHM and Kraftwerk I really enjoyed Globus and in contrast to it the Tresor vault, which gave me all the variety I needed: 10/10
Pricing:
The entrance price was (when bought via presale) 33.5€ including Resident Advisor fees. Honestly, I think that is a bit too much. I get the organizational burden of transforming Kraftwerk into a club and having staff for over 20 hours. But there are clubs in Berlin where you can go out for multiple days for cheaper. Also, unlike Charlotte de Witte at Watergate, there wasn’t such a big name DJ present, that charged so much, justifying a high entry price. Also, there have been multiple events at Kraftwerk. It wasn’t a one-time expenditure.
Just as a comparison. On the same day Vault Session took place at RSO Club which went on even longer till Monday and was priced at less than 20€ in presale. Or the Synoid Weekender which takes place Friday to Monday and costs at max. 25€, even much cheaper if you buy early bird tickets (15€). And that event features much more prominent DJs(both in following and quantity).
For me, I mainly went, because I wanted to see Headless Horseman live for ages and because I haven't been at Tresor since 2019. Yet, I think max. 25€, maybe even with a 20€ early bird discount would have been a much fairer entry. In the end, I didn’t feel scammed by the price, but lower would have been more appropriate.
The general pricing for drinks was the usual Berlin average: 3€ Juice & Water, 3,5€ Mate (Softdrinks), 4€ Beer (if I am not mistaken). I didn’t drink much that evening, so I am not sure about cocktail prices but expect them to be around the 10€ mark.
An entrance fee that was too high and average drink prices: 5/10
Conclusion:
To sum it up I was very pleased with the event. It was great visiting Tresor again after 2,5 years of a break. The only “bad” thing is, that there was a bit too much going on which resulted in me not even visiting the Kraftwerk and OHM floors properly. But is that really a bad thing? The only downside that came from that was maybe the increased cost and a bit looser selection compared to Herrensauna events just in the Tresor itself.
Musically this party exactly hit the spot for me, it was an absolute bliss with lots of variety and great artists performing. Together with an organization that was on point and the high quality provided in terms of sound, atmosphere, and lightning, this for me is a 9/10.
My state of mind:
I was feeling great when I joined the party. Before that, I have been with some friends whom I brought to Watergate, as they are not into harder Techno and preferred a more casual atmosphere. We spend some time there, connected well, and I made my way over to Tresor full of energy. I also knew that there will be some friends of mine as well.
I can’t say that I was sober that night, but I wasn’t completely intoxicated, s.t. it is fair to say, that I am still in the position to write an objective critique.
A lot of people have been very EXTRA that evening. In terms of their appearance and style, which was great! Also, it was a very queer-heavy event, so if you can’t deal with that, then you should probably skip the Herrensauna parties. I on the other hand liked it a lot. It was interesting to talk to people with different backgrounds about different styles and trends.
Most of the people I’ve met and talked to were very friendly and open — it was fun to hang out with them. Occasionally there have been some, that I felt were maybe overwhelmed by this crowd and event. Often those, that have been quite young. But it wasn’t in a quantity that negatively impacted the overall vibe.
I had a great time, felt safe, and will definitely be back.
